OUR VIEW

Fully use federal food-stamp funds

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 12, 2014

Too often, necessities like decent food and decent shelter become luxuries in Hawaii, out of reach of struggling families. Seventy-three percent of the islands' extremely low-income households spend more than half their income on housing, according to a new report, leaving little for groceries, utilities and transportation — costs that, like housing, are among the highest in the nation.
The federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, saves these families from abject poverty, and also eases the financial pain for households that have higher incomes but still fall below federal poverty guidelines. The benefits, provided via electronic debit cards that can be spent at grocery stores, a growing number of farmers markets and other food outlets, help keep nutritious food on the table for nearly 194,000 people in Hawaii.

Too often, necessities like decent food and decent shelter become luxuries in Hawaii, out of reach of struggling families. Seventy-three percent of the islands' extremely low-income households spend more than half their income on housing, according to a new report, leaving little for groceries, utilities and transportation — costs that, like housing, are among the highest in the nation.

The federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, saves these families from abject poverty, and also eases the financial pain for households that have higher incomes but still fall below federal poverty guidelines. The benefits, provided via electronic debit cards that can be spent at grocery stores, a growing number of farmers markets and other food outlets, help keep nutritious food on the table for nearly 194,000 people in Hawaii. Login for more...